I heavily supported the Wii U from 2014 onwards and have nearly 100 physical games, plus a descent amount of digital content, but man did that machine make you work hard to love it! It is slow with terrible loading times. The constant switching between game pad and tv in some games is anxiety inducing and ruins immersion frequently. The ridiculous difficulty with some multiplayer controls (why if I have a gamepad and pro controller do they always both get assigned to player 1? Why is it so difficult to just have them for player 1 and 2?) The minuscule on board storage. The appalling battery life of the gamepad.
All that being said I has a great time with some games: Deus Ex, Mario 3D World, Breath of the Wild were all very good. Multiplayer games like Game & Wario and Nintendo Land were brilliant in large groups. Yet at the same time I just found myself putting in far more hours on my Xbox 360. Wii U: we hardly knew ye!
@NintendoWife agreed. Having modded a spare console I picked up cheap it means I have access to all the VC games released and can play them through RGB into my flatscreen CRT (not a Trinitron but a pretty decent widescreen TV from about 2003).
It is a pity that the Wii Mini was limited to composite, but Nintendo has a habit of dropping the better definition options from their mini consoles (I believe the NES 2 and SNES Jr were but RF only). Running my Mega Drive and SNES through RGB SCART look fantastic on the old CRT.
@NintendoWife I have a Wii Mini too. Totally pointless (as my original Wii is working fine and I have a modded second one) but it is a nice looking little machine. Pity it can’t output through RGB (composite 480i is the best) as even my SNES and Mega Drive can do that with the right cable…
@Moonwatcher you’re totally right about the marks caused by closing the 3DS. Managed to do that quite early on with my New model. 2DS screen is still perfectly fine.
I bought the 2DS in very early 2014 for £110 with a game included and loved it from the beginning. It was the first handheld I had bought since 2008 (GBA SP) and although I’d tried out the regular 3DS I couldn’t justify the money when that arrived (plus I’m mainly a console gamer). It got a lot of use, mainly as my first child had arrived not 6 months earlier, so late night sessions whilst trying to get him back to sleep or quiet moments for a quick game or two were a welcome respite. Money was a bit tight, so cheap eshop games really helped me when I wanted something to play but couldn’t afford a full release.
I upgraded to the 3DS XL but never liked it before going to the New 3DS. Lovely system but to this day I kind of wish I’d never bothered and just stuck with the 2DS.
The layout is very comfortable, with the big shoulder buttons and buttons by the sides of the top screen. The battery was great and it fit very easily in a bag with the official case. I do wish I’d managed to get a trigger grip with handles, which makes playing on the New 3DS much more comfortable.
Mine still works fine and is played by my kids occasionally. The only thing wrong with it is that the cover of the control disc pops off sometimes and needs replacing. Must be the glue used.
I’ve found that between big games (or at the same time to give me a break for a day or two) I’ll return to old games from the 90s (Mega Drive in particular) especially something arcade like that I can play in short bursts. Columns or Sonic the Hedgehog are good just for an hour or so.
As the Switch enters its twilight years I’d love a couple of Zelda HD packs: Ocarina of Time/ Majora’s Mask and Windwaker/Twilight Princess, with the first two being adapted versions of the 3DS versions and the last a port of the Wii U versions.
I’d also love Fzero GX HD. It already ran at 60fps on the GameCube. Come on Nintendo!
8bitdo has made some great controllers over the years. I have the ones for the mini NES, SNES and Mega Drive which are all great, as well as two of the ‘classic controller’ style ones for Switch (both free with magazine subscriptions) as well as their version of the Switch Pro controller (with the sticks laid out like a PS5 controller) again free with a subscription. All pretty decent alternatives to the joy cons and Pro controller, but I still stick to the official pro controller for docked play.
This reminds me of when the PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect came out to ride on the back of the success of the Wiimote and motion control in games. Nintendo will probably move on to something totally different or simply continue to see success with the Switch, as the vast majority of Switch owners couldn’t care less about the features of these more powerful or capable handhelds. Just like the Game Boy’s success against the Game Gear, Lynx etc which were objectively more advanced and powerful but couldn’t compete because most people who play games are casuals or kids who rely on their parents to get them their systems. It’s great if you are really into having a really powerful handheld, but for most people a Switch is more than enough.
@Banjo- couldn’t have put it better myself. It’s funny the number of people who complain that ‘they can’t play Sonic’ games from the 2D era. Maybe it’s just growing up with both (admittedly I played the Game Boy Mario games rather than NES/SNES back in the day) but it was never a case that one was ‘unplayable’ or ‘worse’ than the other, they were just totally different games that both happened to be platformers.
I feel that Sonic’s transition into 3D massively tarnished his reputation, as the classic 2D games (barring some of the later Game Gear games) were and are still fantastic. Mania proved that there is still an appetite for 2D Sonic if done well. The fact that Sonic CD is now so accessible (as until Sonic Gems on GCN/Xbox/PS2) very few people could play it. It’s just as good as the Mega Drive trilogy, even if you just want to blast through without bothering with time travel.
@EarthboundBenjy I actually pre-ordered Sonic 2 GG back in 1992 and I was massively disappointed with it. The first game was fantastic, but I had the Master System version but played it through a converter on my Game Gear. The GG version (which I later played on the 3DS) has its own charms as there are plenty of tweaks between the two 8 but versions. They made a real effort to account for the smaller screen size (sonic has a different graphic and there are signs to warn of what would be blind jumps due to the restricted screen size. The Jungle Zone’s second act can be backtracked on, unlike the MS version). However, none of the was present in the GG version of Sonic 2. The first boss is annoyingly difficult compared to the MS version.
I would encourage everyone to play through the first Game Gear game. It is totally different from the 16 bit game (though 3 zones share names with the mega drive game they are completely new levels). I grew up with the Master System version, which barring a few tweaks here and there to work better on the Game Gear’s tiny screen, is the same game. The soundtrack alone is fantastic, but we were so lucky back in 1991 to have two different version of Sonic 1 (imagine if when Super Mario World released on SNES that the NES got its own version which was an entirely different game built with the machine’s specs in mind, not just a downgraded port).
Mario and Sonic are like burgers and pizza; both are great but in totally different ways. You might prefer one over the other, but both are enjoyable.
I grew up with both Mario and Sonic games in the 80s/90s, loved both style of games, but always preferred Sonic’s 2D games to Mario’s. It just suits my play style more, plus the graphics, characters and especially the music appeal to me more. However, Mario’s 3D games are much better than Sonic’s (I always feel in control in Mario’s 3D games whereas Sonic’s are sometimes so fast it feels like he’s on autopilot).
Sonic Mania was a fantastic return to form; it honestly felt like the first ‘true’ Sonic game to release since S&K. I’ll be really interested to see Sonic Superstars. Even if it is just to 2D Sonic what New Super Mario Bros was to 2D Mario I’ll be happy.
Although backwards compatibility is never a system seller it is a nice addition to a new system:
1) it gives you a whole library of games to play on your new system, sometimes with a boost to performance. Wii U made Wii games look better through hdmi and Xbox 360 games look superb through my Series X.
2) it means you don’t have to have multiple systems set up (which for a nerd like me is no problem but most people will probably box up or sell their older system).
Im guessing many people will have a large digital library on their switches, so carrying them forward will help people feel they’ve kept their libraries. Hopefully (like the DS to 3DS) the carts will work too.
I hope they get the ‘feel’ of the physics of the classic games, just like in Sonic Mania. Sonic 4 felt really off so I hope that this does for 2D Sonic what New Super Mario bros did for 2D Mario.
I haven’t revisited BOTW since 2017 on my Wii U. I’ve started TOTK but felt it was really aimed at people who were very familiar with BOTW (or have been playing it consistently since release). Even with the 130+hrs I put on back in the day I never really felt I’d seen what the world had to offer. So I’ve returned to BOTW and redone the Great Plateau fully as a refresher. Hopefully when I return to TOTK I’ll feel a bit more confident…
Disappointing; I’d held out for a full physical copy, but between this and the wrong music in Sonic 3 it’s not worth it (unless dirt cheap on the Xbox online store which is an inevitable eventuality). I have all the carts from back in the day so no great loss.
Btw if you have access to an Xbox of the last 3 generations Sonic 3 is still available with the original soundtrack for just a few quid. Also on the Mega Drive Collection for Xbox 360/ PS3. If you want the 8 bit games Sonic Mega Collection + for Xbox/ PS2 has them included from the beginning too.
If you are willing to mod a Wii Sonic 1, 2, 3 and S&K, alongside the 3 Master System Sonics are playable there. Where you get the ROMs from is between you and your deity though…
I own Hyrule Historia and know of the timelines but my own personal head canon is different: I imagine that each game is a variance on common themes, essentially telling exactly the same story but in different settings. In essence I imagine a group of people each telling a story of ‘The Legend of Zelda’ but trying to one up each other.
Each story contains the main beats: the hero and his call to adventure, the princess of destiny and the great evil to be conquered. However, each telling has its own ‘spin’ on what happened.
So the first person says ‘there was this kingdom called Hyrule where an evil force tried to take over. A Princess named Zelda resisted the evil and was helped by a youth called Link, who used a special blade to destroy he evil and bring peace to the land’. The second person then say ‘Not bad, but in my version the hero must travel through time to defeat the great evil’. The third says ‘in my Legend the same happens…but at sea!’
So in my head, barring the odd side quest or direct sequel like Link’s Awakening or Link Between Worlds, every mainline Zelda game is THE Legend of Zelda.
I think there is a lot of over thinking going into the ‘merits’ of this cartoon:
‘The plot didn’t make sense’ - Bowser wants to kidnap Peach + Mario wants to save her = every (nearly every) Mario game since 1983. Add on Luigi in peril, Peach knowing how to handle herself (such as in SMB 2 and 3D World) and add the fact that Mario is totally new to this world and has to adapt and grow and it’s pretty much the Hero’s journey (like Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter).
‘Mario is outdone by everyone else’ - no, he is a complete stranger to this world and has to learn and adapt, including failing multiple times. Just like most heroes. The film makes the point that he has certain skills already that help him (he is shown to be athletic and can drive) but it also makes it clear that it’s his resilience that makes him ‘Super’ Mario (his heart if you will, which is the idea in most good heroes).
‘It’s just fan service’ - yes it is. Good. That’s what most people want. Subverting expectations is a tired, boring trope. Give the punters what they want. It would be like seeing your favourite band in concert and them refusing to play any of their big hits.
Honestly I don’t really know what people who don’t want fan service actually expected to get from a Super Mario Movie (and don’t say ‘we wanted a good film’; it’s a perfectly enjoyable kids film. Not one of the greats for sure, but far better than I think many people thought it has any right to be, similar to the Sonic films).
Anecdotally, when I took my kids to see it I was sat between them and another family, where the dad was a few years older than me. In the opening, when pixelated Mario and Luigi appeared he said ‘wow, just like when I was young!’. I grew up playing the 8 bit and 16 bit games and my kids play games from that era all the way through to modern Switch games. We all found something to enjoy. Bottom line, that’s why it’s done well; it appeals to nearly everybody. Pull apart its ‘artistic merits’ all you want; some films are just there to be enjoyed, like an ice cream or rollercoaster. Learn to smell the roses once in a while.
I took my kids to see it yesterday. It was really good fun. It’s a very warm hearted family film. No cynicism or messages other than positive ones about family, courage and resilience. No annoying characters, in fact they were all quite lovable, even Bowser (Jack Black steals the show as a good villain should). They also made Peach a hero in her own right but one who doesn’t overshadow Mario, who is brand new to this world. I found that quite refreshing, because as far back as SMB2 on the NES she was one of the team and it wasn’t until SM3DWorld that she didn’t need rescuing again (unless you count Super Princess Peach on DS). Is it a perfect film? No, but I honestly don’t know what a perfect Mario film would look like. It’s very similar in feel to the Sonic movies and that’s a good thing. More please!
@samuelvictor yep, it’s easy to forget how quickly the prices of those systems crashed. Unfortunately at the time I wasn’t really interested in Mega CD/32X as to me they seemed like total flops and weren’t worth the money. I was still playing Mega Drive up until 98 when I got the N64 (with a lot of PC gaming during that time). I think that was why I never bought into the PS1; the family PC could run games like Xwing or Jedi Knight which left PS games in the dust. In fact my first experience of Resident Evil was RE2 on the PC, which looked and ran much better than on PlayStation. Come think of it I didn’t actually play a PS1 game until 2002 on my new PS2!
I’m glad I went Game Gear to MD to N64; as you said the leap was phenomenal, especially to full 3D and it gave me the chance to play games from series I had a passing familiarity with (Mario and Zelda) which was actually weird as there were call backs to games from the two previous generations that I only discovered later on (especially Ocarina of Time).
@samuelvictor the prices for budget systems got silly. I still regret not picking up a new in box Master System II with 2 controllers, Sonic 1 built in and the cartridge of Sonic 2 for the grand total of £20 back in the mid 90s!
‘M going to get this physically. The question remains if I get it on Switch (so that my kids can borrow the cart to play on their Switch Lites) or on Xbox Series X which will have far better performance (which I believe was an issue with the original Switch version).
@samuelvictor similar experience for me. By the 90s the only NES’s I encountered were on friend’s attics (like something from Indiana Jones; what is this strange box?) and I eventually bought a friend’s NES in about 97 for £17 with a stack of accessories and games.
I remember the NES was on display in shops like Dixons and Children’s World, so I was familiar with the classics (and wanted them to replace my Speccy) but once the Mega Drive launched that was all I wanted. I did play on a SNES a couple of times but it never impressed me enough to want one over the MD (it still feels sluggish to this day but that’s probably 50hz games). With hindsight and having played the SNES since, it’s a great system but it just never seemed as popular in my part of the UK, though I believe it actually eventually outsold the Mega Drive. That didn’t seem the case when I was young though.
It’s funny when you think about the cost of things back then. When I got my Mega Drive in 93 it cost £150. To my mind that seemed reasonable, but adjusting for inflation that makes it the equivalent of a PS5/Xbox series X. £20 got a game seems very reasonable by today’s standard but was probably not far off the £55+ cost of a new game these days.
@samuelvictor can I just second everything you’ve said. I was a kid during that time and your experience mirrored my own. I did get to go to the US regularly at the time, so although I had more exposure to the NES, back in the UK home computers like the ZX Spectrum and C64 ruled the roost, with the Master System well known. The Mega Drive was the major shift; it was everywhere. I knew a handful of people who had a SNES but mostly Nintendo was represented by the Game Boy. I can’t add much more. You’ve eloquently described my experience.
Leon has arguably had the most progress as a character in the series: from naive rookie to snarky agent to gritty realist. Claire for me is a close second.
Luckily as I’ve owned some sort of 3DS family system since early 2014 I managed over the years to buy all of Sega’s 3D versions of their games. It seems silly now, but back then being able to play Mega Drive/Genesis games on the go was brilliant. In the 90s the idea of playing Sonic 2 on a handheld was a pipe dream (I’m aware of the Nomad but I never saw one in the UK and the Game Gear’s batteries lasted about 90 mins if you were lucky!)
The combination lock puzzle in Dishonoured 2. Still need a guide (though I’m aware you can get clues throughout the level). It’s deviously difficult, even for this 90s point and click pc game veteran!
I went the other way, I initially got a Switch Lite and found that it largely gathered dust (the price of games was a factor as well). Whilst great when I went abroad to visit family, when at home I tended to default to my Xbox.
As my kids got older my son started to really like playing on the Lite. He doesn’t care about whether he’s playing on a tv or handheld. In the end I got hold of a V2 Switch for myself and so we could play on the TV together, which started to get a lot more use. Meanwhile my son continued to love playing on the Lite. So inevitably I gave him the Lite and kept the V2 for me. My daughter now has her own Lite and she loves it too (though she’s not as big into games as her big brother). Recently I got the split pad pro and for me that is a much better handheld option when travelling (storage space allowing).
Honestly though, if Nintendo weren’t so backwards about the account system and I could just pick up and play between different systems without one being the ‘main’ system I might be tempted to get a third Lite exclusively for travelling, thereby not risking the more fiddly V2 Switch. It’s still a lovely little machine, though (just like it’s big brother) it’s murder on the hands without a grip!
I genuinely can’t wait to play a game from 1989 that debuted on a monochromatic, 3 inch screen with 4 shades of green as its entire palette on a modern 43 inch 4K tv at 1080p upscaled.
@Beaucine totally. I could actually see what was happening in Jungle. I haven’t noticed any frame rate issues but I always saw that of more of an issue in multiplayer. I’m loving it!
All the negativity surrounding this (though I’m sure it’s just the loudest voices in the room) really show why these days it feels like ‘this is why we can’t have nice things!’
I’ve blasted through it in Agent on my Xbox and am at Jungle on Secret Agent. I haven’t had any issues at all. Any graphical artefacts are from the original (just more noticeable in 4K) but there has been no slow down, the controls are smooth (without having to mess around with them like in the Switch version). It is quite literally ‘Goldeneye as it was in ‘97 but tidied up and with better controls’. It was also free to those of us with Rare Replay. Bargain.
@Dringo it’s similar to the Xbox version of you swap the function of the sticks and replace A and B with shoulder buttons. Then once in the game change to the ‘Solitaire’ control scheme and it’s close enough.
@The-Chosen-one I have (since my last comment)found out how to make the controls on the Switch version nearly the same as the Xbox version. It’s a pain (having to remap buttons and load that setting every time you play plus changing the control scheme in the game itself). Typical Nintendo, it works but in a convoluted, round about way.
The controls are terrible on the Switch version (though I’m guessing there are pretty good if you happen to have the N64 controller). I played Goldeneye a lot over the years and the Xbox version is far better simply down to the controls (never mind the upscaling on my Series X).
That being said, if Nintendo allow us to use the same twin stick controls as the Xbox version then I’d totally love to play portable Goldeneye, especially the online multiplayer. As it stands I’ll be sticking with the Xbox version.
No! It’s the absolute worst thing about the game. In fact, despite putting in about 150hrs on my Wii U the weapon system is what stops me returning to Breath of the Wild. I don’t mind games where you have to upgrade a weapon, but even with a weak yet reliable weapon you can fight yourself out of some situations. Lugging around a dozen rubbish swords in BOTW was terrible. When I finally got the Master Sword I thought ‘ah, well it’s all been worth it, because now we’re in business’ like in older Zelda games only to find that it has a re-charge! Urgh!
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Re: Feature: Why I Still Love My Wii U
I heavily supported the Wii U from 2014 onwards and have nearly 100 physical games, plus a descent amount of digital content, but man did that machine make you work hard to love it! It is slow with terrible loading times. The constant switching between game pad and tv in some games is anxiety inducing and ruins immersion frequently. The ridiculous difficulty with some multiplayer controls (why if I have a gamepad and pro controller do they always both get assigned to player 1? Why is it so difficult to just have them for player 1 and 2?) The minuscule on board storage. The appalling battery life of the gamepad.
All that being said I has a great time with some games: Deus Ex, Mario 3D World, Breath of the Wild were all very good. Multiplayer games like Game & Wario and Nintendo Land were brilliant in large groups. Yet at the same time I just found myself putting in far more hours on my Xbox 360. Wii U: we hardly knew ye!
Re: Random: This Drink Driving Game Is A Nasty Blemish On The Switch eShop
Down with this sort of thing!
Careful now!
Re: Anniversary: Happy Birthday To Nintendo's Ugliest, Most Indestructible Console
@NintendoWife agreed. Having modded a spare console I picked up cheap it means I have access to all the VC games released and can play them through RGB into my flatscreen CRT (not a Trinitron but a pretty decent widescreen TV from about 2003).
It is a pity that the Wii Mini was limited to composite, but Nintendo has a habit of dropping the better definition options from their mini consoles (I believe the NES 2 and SNES Jr were but RF only). Running my Mega Drive and SNES through RGB SCART look fantastic on the old CRT.
Re: Random: One "New" Wii U Was Apparently Sold In The US Last Month
@N00BiSH ha! Nice reference!
Re: Anniversary: Happy Birthday To Nintendo's Ugliest, Most Indestructible Console
@NintendoWife I have a Wii Mini too. Totally pointless (as my original Wii is working fine and I have a modded second one) but it is a nice looking little machine. Pity it can’t output through RGB (composite 480i is the best) as even my SNES and Mega Drive can do that with the right cable…
Re: Anniversary: Happy Birthday To Nintendo's Ugliest, Most Indestructible Console
@Moonwatcher you’re totally right about the marks caused by closing the 3DS. Managed to do that quite early on with my New model. 2DS screen is still perfectly fine.
Re: Anniversary: Happy Birthday To Nintendo's Ugliest, Most Indestructible Console
I bought the 2DS in very early 2014 for £110 with a game included and loved it from the beginning. It was the first handheld I had bought since 2008 (GBA SP) and although I’d tried out the regular 3DS I couldn’t justify the money when that arrived (plus I’m mainly a console gamer). It got a lot of use, mainly as my first child had arrived not 6 months earlier, so late night sessions whilst trying to get him back to sleep or quiet moments for a quick game or two were a welcome respite. Money was a bit tight, so cheap eshop games really helped me when I wanted something to play but couldn’t afford a full release.
I upgraded to the 3DS XL but never liked it before going to the New 3DS. Lovely system but to this day I kind of wish I’d never bothered and just stuck with the 2DS.
The layout is very comfortable, with the big shoulder buttons and buttons by the sides of the top screen. The battery was great and it fit very easily in a bag with the official case. I do wish I’d managed to get a trigger grip with handles, which makes playing on the New 3DS much more comfortable.
Mine still works fine and is played by my kids occasionally. The only thing wrong with it is that the cover of the control disc pops off sometimes and needs replacing. Must be the glue used.
Re: Netflix Expands Its Animation Line-Up With Tomb Raider, Devil May Cry, More
No Sgt Rex ‘Power’ Colt in Blood Dragon? That’s a no from me.
Re: Review: Rise Of The Triad: Ludicrous Edition - Definitive, Though Undeniably Dated
I loved how when you activate god mode not only are you invulnerable, it also makes you about 20 feet tall as well!
Re: Talking Point: What Is Your Video Game Palate Cleanser?
I’ve found that between big games (or at the same time to give me a break for a day or two) I’ll return to old games from the 90s (Mega Drive in particular) especially something arcade like that I can play in short bursts. Columns or Sonic the Hedgehog are good just for an hour or so.
Re: Capcom Would 'Gracefully Decline' An Acquisition Offer From Microsoft
Why can I just imagine Capcom’s reply being said in Ada’s sarcastic voice? ‘No thanks, I like my independence’.
Re: Nintendo Direct September 2023: Time, Where To Watch, Our Predictions
As the Switch enters its twilight years I’d love a couple of Zelda HD packs: Ocarina of Time/ Majora’s Mask and Windwaker/Twilight Princess, with the first two being adapted versions of the 3DS versions and the last a port of the Wii U versions.
I’d also love Fzero GX HD. It already ran at 60fps on the GameCube. Come on Nintendo!
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Update Goes Live On Switch, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@EarthboundBenjy there’s more:
Sonic’s sprite is completely different in the GG and SMS versions.
There are a bunch of arrows and signs that don’t exist in the SMS version in Green Hill Zone.
The final boss is different in both versions
The first boss cannot be hit as he flies across the top of the screen in the SMS, due to the screen being much bigger.
The special stages are completely different in the SMS and GG versions
Re: 8BitDo Unveils New "Micro" Switch Controller, Available In Blue & Green
8bitdo has made some great controllers over the years. I have the ones for the mini NES, SNES and Mega Drive which are all great, as well as two of the ‘classic controller’ style ones for Switch (both free with magazine subscriptions) as well as their version of the Switch Pro controller (with the sticks laid out like a PS5 controller) again free with a subscription. All pretty decent alternatives to the joy cons and Pro controller, but I still stick to the official pro controller for docked play.
Re: Surprise Surprise, Lenovo's Leaked Handheld Looks Like A Switch
This reminds me of when the PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect came out to ride on the back of the success of the Wiimote and motion control in games. Nintendo will probably move on to something totally different or simply continue to see success with the Switch, as the vast majority of Switch owners couldn’t care less about the features of these more powerful or capable handhelds. Just like the Game Boy’s success against the Game Gear, Lynx etc which were objectively more advanced and powerful but couldn’t compete because most people who play games are casuals or kids who rely on their parents to get them their systems. It’s great if you are really into having a really powerful handheld, but for most people a Switch is more than enough.
Re: Review: Sonic Origins Plus - Not Bad, But Sonic Still Deserves Better
@Banjo- cheers buddy!
Re: Review: Sonic Origins Plus - Not Bad, But Sonic Still Deserves Better
@Banjo- couldn’t have put it better myself. It’s funny the number of people who complain that ‘they can’t play Sonic’ games from the 2D era. Maybe it’s just growing up with both (admittedly I played the Game Boy Mario games rather than NES/SNES back in the day) but it was never a case that one was ‘unplayable’ or ‘worse’ than the other, they were just totally different games that both happened to be platformers.
I feel that Sonic’s transition into 3D massively tarnished his reputation, as the classic 2D games (barring some of the later Game Gear games) were and are still fantastic. Mania proved that there is still an appetite for 2D Sonic if done well. The fact that Sonic CD is now so accessible (as until Sonic Gems on GCN/Xbox/PS2) very few people could play it. It’s just as good as the Mega Drive trilogy, even if you just want to blast through without bothering with time travel.
Re: Best Game Gear Sonic Games, Ranked By You
@EarthboundBenjy I actually pre-ordered Sonic 2 GG back in 1992 and I was massively disappointed with it. The first game was fantastic, but I had the Master System version but played it through a converter on my Game Gear. The GG version (which I later played on the 3DS) has its own charms as there are plenty of tweaks between the two 8 but versions. They made a real effort to account for the smaller screen size (sonic has a different graphic and there are signs to warn of what would be blind jumps due to the restricted screen size. The Jungle Zone’s second act can be backtracked on, unlike the MS version). However, none of the was present in the GG version of Sonic 2. The first boss is annoyingly difficult compared to the MS version.
Re: Review: Sonic Origins Plus - Not Bad, But Sonic Still Deserves Better
I would encourage everyone to play through the first Game Gear game. It is totally different from the 16 bit game (though 3 zones share names with the mega drive game they are completely new levels). I grew up with the Master System version, which barring a few tweaks here and there to work better on the Game Gear’s tiny screen, is the same game. The soundtrack alone is fantastic, but we were so lucky back in 1991 to have two different version of Sonic 1 (imagine if when Super Mario World released on SNES that the NES got its own version which was an entirely different game built with the machine’s specs in mind, not just a downgraded port).
Re: Review: Sonic Origins Plus - Not Bad, But Sonic Still Deserves Better
Mario and Sonic are like burgers and pizza; both are great but in totally different ways. You might prefer one over the other, but both are enjoyable.
I grew up with both Mario and Sonic games in the 80s/90s, loved both style of games, but always preferred Sonic’s 2D games to Mario’s. It just suits my play style more, plus the graphics, characters and especially the music appeal to me more. However, Mario’s 3D games are much better than Sonic’s (I always feel in control in Mario’s 3D games whereas Sonic’s are sometimes so fast it feels like he’s on autopilot).
Sonic Mania was a fantastic return to form; it honestly felt like the first ‘true’ Sonic game to release since S&K. I’ll be really interested to see Sonic Superstars. Even if it is just to 2D Sonic what New Super Mario Bros was to 2D Mario I’ll be happy.
Re: Shuntaro Furukawa: Switch Successor Will Utilise The 'Nintendo Account' System
Although backwards compatibility is never a system seller it is a nice addition to a new system:
1) it gives you a whole library of games to play on your new system, sometimes with a boost to performance. Wii U made Wii games look better through hdmi and Xbox 360 games look superb through my Series X.
2) it means you don’t have to have multiple systems set up (which for a nerd like me is no problem but most people will probably box up or sell their older system).
Im guessing many people will have a large digital library on their switches, so carrying them forward will help people feel they’ve kept their libraries. Hopefully (like the DS to 3DS) the carts will work too.
Re: Sonic Superstars Sees The Return Of Classic-Style Sonic With New Visuals
I hope they get the ‘feel’ of the physics of the classic games, just like in Sonic Mania. Sonic 4 felt really off so I hope that this does for 2D Sonic what New Super Mario bros did for 2D Mario.
Re: Soapbox: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom's Busier Hyrule Is Making Me Miss BOTW
I haven’t revisited BOTW since 2017 on my Wii U. I’ve started TOTK but felt it was really aimed at people who were very familiar with BOTW (or have been playing it consistently since release). Even with the 130+hrs I put on back in the day I never really felt I’d seen what the world had to offer. So I’ve returned to BOTW and redone the Great Plateau fully as a refresher. Hopefully when I return to TOTK I’ll feel a bit more confident…
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Physical Listing Says New Content Is "Downloadable Via Included Code"
Disappointing; I’d held out for a full physical copy, but between this and the wrong music in Sonic 3 it’s not worth it (unless dirt cheap on the Xbox online store which is an inevitable eventuality). I have all the carts from back in the day so no great loss.
Btw if you have access to an Xbox of the last 3 generations Sonic 3 is still available with the original soundtrack for just a few quid. Also on the Mega Drive Collection for Xbox 360/ PS3. If you want the 8 bit games Sonic Mega Collection + for Xbox/ PS2 has them included from the beginning too.
If you are willing to mod a Wii Sonic 1, 2, 3 and S&K, alongside the 3 Master System Sonics are playable there. Where you get the ROMs from is between you and your deity though…
Re: Wahoo! The Mario Movie Is Now Available To Buy Or Rent Digitally In The UK
DVD will be £10 and the Blu ray £15. Most likely one or both will have a digital copy included as a download code. I’ll wait.
Re: Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom: Where Does It Fit In The Zelda Timeline?
I own Hyrule Historia and know of the timelines but my own personal head canon is different: I imagine that each game is a variance on common themes, essentially telling exactly the same story but in different settings. In essence I imagine a group of people each telling a story of ‘The Legend of Zelda’ but trying to one up each other.
Each story contains the main beats: the hero and his call to adventure, the princess of destiny and the great evil to be conquered. However, each telling has its own ‘spin’ on what happened.
So the first person says ‘there was this kingdom called Hyrule where an evil force tried to take over. A Princess named Zelda resisted the evil and was helped by a youth called Link, who used a special blade to destroy he evil and bring peace to the land’. The second person then say ‘Not bad, but in my version the hero must travel through time to defeat the great evil’. The third says ‘in my Legend the same happens…but at sea!’
So in my head, barring the odd side quest or direct sequel like Link’s Awakening or Link Between Worlds, every mainline Zelda game is THE Legend of Zelda.
Re: Miyamoto Thinks Mario Movie's Critical Reception Contributed To The "Buzz"
I think there is a lot of over thinking going into the ‘merits’ of this cartoon:
‘The plot didn’t make sense’ - Bowser wants to kidnap Peach + Mario wants to save her = every (nearly every) Mario game since 1983. Add on Luigi in peril, Peach knowing how to handle herself (such as in SMB 2 and 3D World) and add the fact that Mario is totally new to this world and has to adapt and grow and it’s pretty much the Hero’s journey (like Luke Skywalker or Harry Potter).
‘Mario is outdone by everyone else’ - no, he is a complete stranger to this world and has to learn and adapt, including failing multiple times. Just like most heroes. The film makes the point that he has certain skills already that help him (he is shown to be athletic and can drive) but it also makes it clear that it’s his resilience that makes him ‘Super’ Mario (his heart if you will, which is the idea in most good heroes).
‘It’s just fan service’ - yes it is. Good. That’s what most people want. Subverting expectations is a tired, boring trope. Give the punters what they want. It would be like seeing your favourite band in concert and them refusing to play any of their big hits.
Honestly I don’t really know what people who don’t want fan service actually expected to get from a Super Mario Movie (and don’t say ‘we wanted a good film’; it’s a perfectly enjoyable kids film. Not one of the greats for sure, but far better than I think many people thought it has any right to be, similar to the Sonic films).
Anecdotally, when I took my kids to see it I was sat between them and another family, where the dad was a few years older than me. In the opening, when pixelated Mario and Luigi appeared he said ‘wow, just like when I was young!’. I grew up playing the 8 bit and 16 bit games and my kids play games from that era all the way through to modern Switch games. We all found something to enjoy. Bottom line, that’s why it’s done well; it appeals to nearly everybody. Pull apart its ‘artistic merits’ all you want; some films are just there to be enjoyed, like an ice cream or rollercoaster. Learn to smell the roses once in a while.
Re: Talking Point: Which Is Your Favourite Nintendo Controller? Every Nintendo Pad Ranked
1. GameCube controller + Wavebird - melts into the hands and the battery life of the Wavebird is insane.
2. Wii Classic Controller Pro - extremely comfortable for extended gaming sessions, though it obviously lacks some features.
3. Switch Pro controller - very good, but feels like a cheaper version of an Xbox controller.
4. NES controller/ Wii-mote - simple and efficient.
5. Wii U pro controller - great battery life but strange stick layout.
6. SNES controller - decent but I was a Mega Drive player as a kid so I’m still not used to it (despite the same button layout in modern controllers).
7. N64 controller - great at the time but quite limited due to the layout.
Re: The Mario Movie Has "Top Animated Launch Day Ever" In Multiple Countries
I took my kids to see it yesterday. It was really good fun. It’s a very warm hearted family film. No cynicism or messages other than positive ones about family, courage and resilience. No annoying characters, in fact they were all quite lovable, even Bowser (Jack Black steals the show as a good villain should). They also made Peach a hero in her own right but one who doesn’t overshadow Mario, who is brand new to this world. I found that quite refreshing, because as far back as SMB2 on the NES she was one of the team and it wasn’t until SM3DWorld that she didn’t need rescuing again (unless you count Super Princess Peach on DS). Is it a perfect film? No, but I honestly don’t know what a perfect Mario film would look like. It’s very similar in feel to the Sonic movies and that’s a good thing. More please!
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Officially Announced For June, Adds Amy And 12 Game Gear Games
@samuelvictor yep, it’s easy to forget how quickly the prices of those systems crashed. Unfortunately at the time I wasn’t really interested in Mega CD/32X as to me they seemed like total flops and weren’t worth the money. I was still playing Mega Drive up until 98 when I got the N64 (with a lot of PC gaming during that time). I think that was why I never bought into the PS1; the family PC could run games like Xwing or Jedi Knight which left PS games in the dust. In fact my first experience of Resident Evil was RE2 on the PC, which looked and ran much better than on PlayStation. Come think of it I didn’t actually play a PS1 game until 2002 on my new PS2!
I’m glad I went Game Gear to MD to N64; as you said the leap was phenomenal, especially to full 3D and it gave me the chance to play games from series I had a passing familiarity with (Mario and Zelda) which was actually weird as there were call backs to games from the two previous generations that I only discovered later on (especially Ocarina of Time).
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Officially Announced For June, Adds Amy And 12 Game Gear Games
@samuelvictor the prices for budget systems got silly. I still regret not picking up a new in box Master System II with 2 controllers, Sonic 1 built in and the cartridge of Sonic 2 for the grand total of £20 back in the mid 90s!
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Officially Announced For June, Adds Amy And 12 Game Gear Games
‘M going to get this physically. The question remains if I get it on Switch (so that my kids can borrow the cart to play on their Switch Lites) or on Xbox Series X which will have far better performance (which I believe was an issue with the original Switch version).
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Officially Announced For June, Adds Amy And 12 Game Gear Games
@samuelvictor similar experience for me. By the 90s the only NES’s I encountered were on friend’s attics (like something from Indiana Jones; what is this strange box?) and I eventually bought a friend’s NES in about 97 for £17 with a stack of accessories and games.
I remember the NES was on display in shops like Dixons and Children’s World, so I was familiar with the classics (and wanted them to replace my Speccy) but once the Mega Drive launched that was all I wanted. I did play on a SNES a couple of times but it never impressed me enough to want one over the MD (it still feels sluggish to this day but that’s probably 50hz games). With hindsight and having played the SNES since, it’s a great system but it just never seemed as popular in my part of the UK, though I believe it actually eventually outsold the Mega Drive. That didn’t seem the case when I was young though.
It’s funny when you think about the cost of things back then. When I got my Mega Drive in 93 it cost £150. To my mind that seemed reasonable, but adjusting for inflation that makes it the equivalent of a PS5/Xbox series X. £20 got a game seems very reasonable by today’s standard but was probably not far off the £55+ cost of a new game these days.
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Officially Announced For June, Adds Amy And 12 Game Gear Games
@samuelvictor can I just second everything you’ve said. I was a kid during that time and your experience mirrored my own. I did get to go to the US regularly at the time, so although I had more exposure to the NES, back in the UK home computers like the ZX Spectrum and C64 ruled the roost, with the Master System well known. The Mega Drive was the major shift; it was everywhere. I knew a handful of people who had a SNES but mostly Nintendo was represented by the Game Boy. I can’t add much more. You’ve eloquently described my experience.
Re: Sonic Origins Plus Officially Announced For June, Adds Amy And 12 Game Gear Games
Good. Glad I held out for a physical copy. The addition of the Game Gear games in HD makes this worth it.
<looks at copy of Sonic Mega Collection + on Xbox> You can rest now.
Re: Resident Evil's Most Popular Character Revealed In Famitsu Reader Survey
Leon has arguably had the most progress as a character in the series: from naive rookie to snarky agent to gritty realist. Claire for me is a close second.
Re: Random: YouTuber Spends Nearly $23K Buying Every 3DS & Wii U eShop Game
<looks up from modded Wii with every VC and majority of Wiiware titles on it>
‘But why tho?’
Re: Poll: What Other GameCube Title Deserves A '10/10' Remake Or Remaster?
F-zero GX already runs at a steady 60fps. Upscale to 1080p, a few tweaks here and there, add online multiplayer. Job’s a good ‘un!
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - My Nintendo Picross: The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
I downloaded this years ago as I knew it would be a real curio in years to come. Never played it nor do I intend to but at least I’ve got it!
Re: Countdown: 3DS eShop Spotlight - 3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Luckily as I’ve owned some sort of 3DS family system since early 2014 I managed over the years to buy all of Sega’s 3D versions of their games. It seems silly now, but back then being able to play Mega Drive/Genesis games on the go was brilliant. In the 90s the idea of playing Sonic 2 on a handheld was a pipe dream (I’m aware of the Nomad but I never saw one in the UK and the Game Gear’s batteries lasted about 90 mins if you were lucky!)
Re: Talking Point: Which Gaming Moments Made You Question Your Intelligence?
The combination lock puzzle in Dishonoured 2. Still need a guide (though I’m aware you can get clues throughout the level). It’s deviously difficult, even for this 90s point and click pc game veteran!
Re: Soapbox: I Scoffed At Switch Lite, Then I Backpacked Through South East Asia
I went the other way, I initially got a Switch Lite and found that it largely gathered dust (the price of games was a factor as well). Whilst great when I went abroad to visit family, when at home I tended to default to my Xbox.
As my kids got older my son started to really like playing on the Lite. He doesn’t care about whether he’s playing on a tv or handheld. In the end I got hold of a V2 Switch for myself and so we could play on the TV together, which started to get a lot more use. Meanwhile my son continued to love playing on the Lite. So inevitably I gave him the Lite and kept the V2 for me. My daughter now has her own Lite and she loves it too (though she’s not as big into games as her big brother). Recently I got the split pad pro and for me that is a much better handheld option when travelling (storage space allowing).
Honestly though, if Nintendo weren’t so backwards about the account system and I could just pick up and play between different systems without one being the ‘main’ system I might be tempted to get a third Lite exclusively for travelling, thereby not risking the more fiddly V2 Switch. It’s still a lovely little machine, though (just like it’s big brother) it’s murder on the hands without a grip!
Re: Every Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy (Color) Game Ranked
I genuinely can’t wait to play a game from 1989 that debuted on a monochromatic, 3 inch screen with 4 shades of green as its entire palette on a modern 43 inch 4K tv at 1080p upscaled.
What a time to be alive!
Re: Random: Metroid Prime's OG Engineer Isn't Happy About The Remastered Doors
I’m all for authenticity in remasters but come on…
…it’s a door….
Re: Random: GoldenEye 007 Composer Reckons "Old Team" Would Have Done A Better Job On Emulation
@Beaucine totally. I could actually see what was happening in Jungle. I haven’t noticed any frame rate issues but I always saw that of more of an issue in multiplayer. I’m loving it!
Re: Random: GoldenEye 007 Composer Reckons "Old Team" Would Have Done A Better Job On Emulation
All the negativity surrounding this (though I’m sure it’s just the loudest voices in the room) really show why these days it feels like ‘this is why we can’t have nice things!’
I’ve blasted through it in Agent on my Xbox and am at Jungle on Secret Agent. I haven’t had any issues at all. Any graphical artefacts are from the original (just more noticeable in 4K) but there has been no slow down, the controls are smooth (without having to mess around with them like in the Switch version). It is quite literally ‘Goldeneye as it was in ‘97 but tidied up and with better controls’. It was also free to those of us with Rare Replay. Bargain.
Re: Video: GoldenEye 007 Side-By-Side Graphics Comparison (Switch & Xbox)
@Dringo it’s similar to the Xbox version of you swap the function of the sticks and replace A and B with shoulder buttons. Then once in the game change to the ‘Solitaire’ control scheme and it’s close enough.
Re: Video: GoldenEye 007 Side-By-Side Graphics Comparison (Switch & Xbox)
@The-Chosen-one I have (since my last comment)found out how to make the controls on the Switch version nearly the same as the Xbox version. It’s a pain (having to remap buttons and load that setting every time you play plus changing the control scheme in the game itself). Typical Nintendo, it works but in a convoluted, round about way.
Re: Video: GoldenEye 007 Side-By-Side Graphics Comparison (Switch & Xbox)
The controls are terrible on the Switch version (though I’m guessing there are pretty good if you happen to have the N64 controller). I played Goldeneye a lot over the years and the Xbox version is far better simply down to the controls (never mind the upscaling on my Series X).
That being said, if Nintendo allow us to use the same twin stick controls as the Xbox version then I’d totally love to play portable Goldeneye, especially the online multiplayer. As it stands I’ll be sticking with the Xbox version.
Re: Poll: Do You Want Weapon Degradation To Return In Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom?
No! It’s the absolute worst thing about the game. In fact, despite putting in about 150hrs on my Wii U the weapon system is what stops me returning to Breath of the Wild. I don’t mind games where you have to upgrade a weapon, but even with a weak yet reliable weapon you can fight yourself out of some situations. Lugging around a dozen rubbish swords in BOTW was terrible. When I finally got the Master Sword I thought ‘ah, well it’s all been worth it, because now we’re in business’ like in older Zelda games only to find that it has a re-charge! Urgh!